Thursday, May 31, 2012

No matter how hard I tried to like the color Henrietta, I just couldn't.

So, I got out my supplies and repainted the table, again. This time I love it!

Notice all of the texture on the top of the table? I achieved this look by using Texture Magic. You can find this down the paint aisle of most craft stores. It was super easy to use...just squirt it on, disperse it some and allow it to dry.

For the top, I decided to try color blocking. The first color is a mix of Antibes Green and Old White. The second is Louis Blue and Old White and the third is good old Paris Grey. The rest of the table is Old White with a heavy coat of dark wax.

As I was painting this piece, I used very short and varied brush strokes to give it a patina look. As you can see below, the brush strokes held in the dark wax.

My daughter instantly fell in love with this table and swiped it up for her room.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Cute prints, huh? I found a large vintage bird poster at an antique shop over the winter and just recently remembered that I had it. The frames were purchased at Michael's for a whopping $4.99 a piece (originally $12.99). But check out how ugly they were....

They look so much better painted. I really like how the Paris Grey creates a mat around the print.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Many years ago, I picked up a cute 3-drawer unit from the Market Bizarre at Target. I remember it being a clearance item and dirt cheap. At the time, it matched my decor perfectly and I adored this little guy. Not so much anymore. Over the years my decor has moved away from the reds, golds and tans and towards Shabby Chic.

Before

To make it new again, I painted the piece with Paris Grey and Old White. I used very random and choppy brush strokes to add character and a patina look. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the glass drawers. Being too scared to free hand a design on them, I used good old craft tape and sealed them with Mod-Podge.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Just a few weeks ago, I picked up a small side table from a neighborhood garage sale. I thought it was the perfect piece for using my sample pot of Annie Sloan's Henrietta.

Sorry for the bad before picture. I had already started painting when I remembered to snap a quick picture!

I decided to use a few different techniques with this table. I started by painting the table in Henrietta. I was very unimpressed and highly disliking the color. To tone down the purple hue, I gave the table a wash of Old White, which I've never done before. I simply put some Old White in a container, mixed in some water and painted. I then used an old rag to wipe off the excess.

As you can see, I left quite a bit of Old White on the top but wiped most of it off the rest of the table. As I painted, the chalk paint started to bring out marks on the table top. To me, it brought out character. I imagine that a child use to sit on the floor and do homework at this table. If you look carefully you can make out parts of equations, words and some fancy doodling!

To distress the table and take off more of the white washed top, I used a damp cloth. Typically, I sand, sand and sand away to distress a piece. I must say, the damp cloth worked great and was mess free! Those of you that use chalk paint can relate to how messy distressing is....

So what do you think? I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Don't be surprised if this table reappears in another make-over session!

Preheat the oven to 350. Pour the soy milk, vinegar, and cornstarch into a measuring cup and set aside. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Stir the soy milk mixture with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch, then pour into the flour mixture. Add the oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full with batter. Place a heaping teaspoon of jam on the center of each cupcake. You don't need to press down on the jam or do anything else; baking will take care of all of that and it will sink in.

Bake 21 to 23 minutes. You can't really do a toothpick test here because of the jelly filling but the cupcakes should be done at this point. The tops should be firm.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Just trust me on this one and make these soon! Yes they are vegan but no one will ever know....

Monday, May 14, 2012

Hope y'all had a nice Mother's Day weekend! On Friday I went to the Zac Brown Band concert, here in Raleigh, NC. This was my second time seeing them....they are awesome live! What made this concert extra special was that my brother got to join us. My brother is with the Special Forces in the Army. We don't get to see him very often and like this weekend, he sometimes just shows up for a night out of the blue.

I made some yummy jelly donut cupcakes. They are vegan but I swear, no one can tell! I will post the recipe sometime soon.

Here's a sneak peek of a project I started....

For Mother's day I received this funky chair. I love how the back is more contemporary and the bottom is more of an antique style. (Party on the top, business on the bottom).

I was also given Photo Plus X5 by Serif. Thrilled doesn't even describe how excited I was over this. However, I have discovered that it is SO complicated to use. I actually cried at the computer yesterday because I was so frustrated. No worries, I will figure it out....

I'm Elyse. This is my little blog where I like to write about life (soaking it up), creative inspiration and painting. Paris, my mint green cruiser, good wine, and my dogs (naughty little guys) are a few of my favorite things. And my life. I love my life.